An Older Brother's Advice
by deegardiner3
Summary: What if Ron had a different reaction to Percy's letter in OotP? One-Shot


**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

**An Older Brother's Advice**

**Author's Notes: **Another response to the **What If…** Challenge on HPFC Board. I wanted to do this one because I have never really written Ron, and I love trying to play with his character. This could have been a huge turning point for the series, had JK Rowling played it differently. Reviews are Love!

**Prompt:** What if... Ron Always Trusted Percy

**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Ms. Rowling. Her sandbox, my shovel! Letter taken from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

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Ron looked up in surprise as Hermes flew in the window and alighted on his shoulder. He stared at the letter on the owl's leg, trying to decide whether to open it or not. Finally giving in, he plucked the letter off of Hermes and unrolled it, not noticing the owl take off into the night.

_Dear Ron,_

_I have only just heard (from no less a person than the Minister for Magic himself, who has it from your new teacher, Professor Umbridge) that you have become a Hogwarts prefect. I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congratulations. I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the "Fred and George" route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some real responsibility. But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions. From something the Minister let slip when telling me you are now a prefect, I gather that you are still seeing a lot of Harry Potter. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than continued fraternization with that boy. Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this - no doubt you will say that Potter has always been Dumbledore's favorite - but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different - and probably more accurate - view of Potter's behavior. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing - and see if you can spot yours truly! Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school too. As you must be aware, given that our father escorted him to court, Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good. He got off on a mere technicality if you ask me and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt. It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with Potter - I know that he can be unbalanced and, for all I know violent - but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in Potter's behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a really delightful woman, who I know will be only too happy to advise you. This leaves me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ron, should be not to him, but to the school and the Ministry. I am very sorry to hear that so far Professor Umbridge is encountering very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires (although she should find this easier from next week - again, see the Prophet tomorrow!). I shall say only this - a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well placed for Head Boyship in a couple of years! I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore (if you are writing to Mother at any point, you might tell her that a certain Sturgis Podmore, who is a great friend of Dumbledore's, has recently been sent to Azkaban for trespassing at the Ministry. Perhaps that will open their eyes to the kind of petty criminals with whom they are currently rubbing shoulders). I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people - the Minister really could not be more gracious to me - and I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions either. I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes. Please think over what I have said most carefully, particularly the bit about Harry Potter, and congratulations again on becoming prefect._

_Your brother,_

_Percy_

"What is it, Ron?" Asked Harry from across the room.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Ron replied. "Nothing, just a note from my family. It's nothing at all." Promptly turning on his heel, Ron ran the letter up to his dorm and hid it in his trunk before sitting on the bed.

Once the curtains were pulled, Ron allowed his mind to wander. Earlier in the summer, the Weasley family had a large falling out, with Percy denouncing Dumbledore and his regime. At the time, Ron was abhorrently against the Ministry, but lately his mind had been changing.

_It's true_, he thought, _Harry does attract trouble faster than someone can say Quidditch._ He pondered his life as sidekick to the Boy-Who-Lived. First Year, Halloween - almost certain death with the troll, End of Year, injury almost certain death with the chess set and You-Know-Who. Second Year was the flying car and Whomping Willow disaster, not to mention Lockhart and the Basilisk. Third, he got his leg torn to pieces by a great bloody dog who turns out to be the convict Sirius Black. Fourth Year, Ron got off relatively easy, his only danger being stuck at the bottom of a lake in February for who knows how long.

Thinking over the events of the past years, Ron was struck by something. None of it would have happened if he wasn't friends with Harry Potter.

Later, as Harry tumbled into bed and slept, Ron watched him. He sighed for what could have been but he had chosen.

Tomorrow, he cuts off all ties with the Savior of the Wizarding World and starts believing Percy again. When Ron was little, Percy was his God. They had lost that in the past few years, but, Ron decided, his brother was older and wiser.

Tomorrow, we find out who Ronald Bilius Weasley really is. A Survivor.

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